Despite another loss to the Rangers, Scioscia hasn't lost hope in the Angels

Sept. 10, 2016

Updated 10:53 p.m.

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The Rangers' Carlos Gomez celebrates his solo home run in the first inning past Angels' catcher Jett Bandy during their game at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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The Rangers' Ian Desmond scores past Angels' catcher Jett Bandy during the first inning of their game against Texas at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG

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Starting pitcher Daniel Wright throws his first pitch as an Angel, a solo home run by the Rangers' Carlos Gomez, during the Angels' game against Texas at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Starting pitcher Daniel Wright walks back to the mound after the Rangers Ian Desmond scores in the first inning during the Angels' game against Texas at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG

Starting pitcher Daniel Wright throws his first pitch as an Angel, a solo home run by the Rangers' Carlos Gomez, during the Angels' game against Texas at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG

The Angels' Jett Bandy flips his bat after striking out in front of Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy to end the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG

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Starting pitcher Daniel Wright sits in the dugout during the Angels' game against Texas at Angel Stadium. KEVIN SULLIVAN , ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/SCNG

ANAHEIM – As the days of this lost Angels season drip away, each prompting a little more focus on 2017, there is one question you need not ask.

Mike Scioscia hasn’t lost faith in this franchise, despite a season gone awry.

The longtime Angels manager indicated before Saturday’s 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers that he wants to come back.

On a day the Angels would be officially eliminated in the American League West race, Scioscia seemed optimistic about the future, and he wants to be part of it.

“There is no doubt I feel good about the direction this organization is going,” Scioscia said. “Our baseball conversation is terrific. I am extremely disappointed as to what our won-loss record is, but I still love it.”

He certainly didn’t love what he saw on Saturday, before he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the ninth inning. The Angels fell behind 4-1, then rallied to take a 5-4 lead in the seventh, but then gave the lead back on Jonathan Lucroy’s two-run homer against Jose Valdez in the eighth.

It led the Angels to their fourth straight loss, pushing them three losses from ensuring just their fifth losing season in Scioscia’s 17 years.

Despite the record, owner Arte Moreno and General Manager Billy Eppler both said publicly within the past month that they planned to have Scioscia back. The problem this season has not been Scioscia, but injuries.

Look no further than the pitcher they started on Saturday night.

Daniel Wright was the Angels’ 15th starter of the season, a league-leading total arising out of injuries to six of the eight starters the Angels had when they opened camp.

Wright is a 25-year-old former 10th-round pick who was just designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds last month.

Wright’s Angels career didn’t get off to a great start. He gave up a homer to Carlos Gomez to lead off the game, and then a two-run homer to him in the fourth.

Wright collected himself enough to get through five innings, trailing 4-1. The Angels chipped away and took him off the hook.

The Angels scored two against Cole Hamels, including a run on Mike Trout’s 89th RBI of the season. In the seventh, after Hamels was pulled, they took the lead with three runs against Keone Kela.

Rafael Ortega led off with a pinch-single. An out later, Kole Calhoun blasted a two-run homer over the right field fence, tying the game, 4-4.

Trout then singled. He went to second on an Albert Pujols groundout and scored on C.J. Cron’s ground-rule double, putting the Angels ahead for the first time in the game.

Just before he scored, Trout stole third, his 25th steal of the season. With 27 homers, Trout is pushing for his second 30-30 season.

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